Sheet feeding mechanism



Aug. 26, 1958 Filed June 9,

T. ROWLANDS ETAL 2,849,234

SHEET FEEDING' MECHANISM 1955 4 Sheets-sheaf. 1

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SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 9, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTonA/gysIN VE N TORS United States Patent" SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Tom Rowlands,Howard 0sborn,.and Henry James Hnbbard, London, England,.assignors toMolins Machine Company, Limited, London, England, a British com- P yApplication June 9, 1955, Serial-No. 514,204

Claims priority, application Great Britain June 11, 1954 6 Claims. (Cl.271-44) This invention relates to sheet feeding mechanism for use; withacutting and creasing machine of the kind described and illustrated inRowlands United States Patent No. 2,737,238 granted March 6, 1954. Insaid machine, a segment of a drum rolls beneath a forme carried by acrosshead and the arcuateface of the segment presses a sheet of materialagainst the forme andeffects the desired operations on the sheet. Sheetsare fed to the machine by a reciprocating sheet carrier or grill towhich sheets are supplied by a suitable sheet feeder. As explained indetail in said specification, a sheet is fed by the grill into theproper position beneath the forme. when the segment is at, or near, theend of its movement away from the sheet feed and, cutting or likeoperations are effected as the segment rolls back again towards thesheet feed.

When material such as CEIITOHbOBIduiS to be fed to such a machine it istoo fragile or flimsey to be fed by toothed pushers or the like frombeneath a pile in a magazine.

The purpose ofthis invention is.to provide devices to feed carton boardby mechanically operated gripper mechanism. Previously it has beencustomary to use suction-type grippers but these suffer from thedisadvantage that the suction cut-oif produces inaccuracies in theregister of the sheets.

According to the present invention there is provided sheet feedingmechanism for a machine of the kind referredto'comprising a sheetfeeding gripper attached to the grill and operated to grip a sheet byits front edge and .drag it as the grill moves outwardsfrom-the sheetfeeding magazine to register the sheet againsta stop or lay whereuponthe gripper releases the sheet and leaves it in position for thecutting. and creasing-operations. The gripper may be mechanicallyoperatedto open for sheet gripping and close on the sheet under theinfluence of a spring whereby thegripper can slide offthe sheet againstthe spring. influence when the sheet is registered against the lay.

Further according tothe invention there is provided sheet feedingmechanism asset forthin the-preceding paragraph comprising a furthergripper located at the lay position said gripper being open to receive asheet brought against the lay by the sheet feeding grippers and operatedto close and grip the-sheet as the latter is released by the sheetfeeding grippers. Preferably the further gripper is spring-operated forgripping engagement and'is held open by catch devices which are released.or triggered by the sheet feeding grippers as. they pass by. onreleasing the sheet. On release of the sheet. the latter may be stillsupported on the gripper until the grill moves under it to receive thesheet whereafter the gripper may be swung aside to permit the sheet todrop on to the grill.

The invention will be more fully described with reference totheaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a gripper sheet feeding device attachedto the grill of the machine;

Figure 2 is a plan of the'left-hand end of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a small. scale-view ofthe crosshead. of the ice machine,looking from the delivery end of the machine, some parts .being omitted;

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a front stop or lay shown towards themiddle of Figure 3 and to a larger scale in Figure 6.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a gripper device shown in Figures 3 and6 and is a section of Figure 6 on the line VV;

Figure 6 is a front elevation of a gripper device'and an associated lay.

Figure 7 is a sectionof Figure 6 on the line VIIVII;

Figure 8 is a view of the underneathbf Figure 6;

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the crosshead of themachine, shown broken, and showing. the attachment of parts inaccordance with the present invention;

Figure 10 is an enlarged view of part of Figure 3 showing a latchdevice;

Figure 11 is an underneath view of a fragmentof Figure 4.

Figure 12 is a skeleton sectional elevation of the machine showing thelocation of the parts illustrated in Figures l to 11.

The sheets are first fed one at atime to a front lay mechanism by anysuitable sheet feeding mechanism and are side-registered against a fencein the usual manner before mechanism forming the subject of the presentinvention moves into contact with a sheet.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a gripper sheet feeding device hastwo members consisting of a hook 1 and jaws 2 which are carried on twotubular members 3 which are fixed to the sheet carrier or grill 13 nearthe, end which is nearer to the feed end of the machine. In practicethere are usually four sets of'these gripper sheet feeding devicesspaced across the machine. As willappear later these devices cooperateat times with stops or lays associated with further gripping devices andthey a are suitably spaced to ensure this.

When the segment 41, Figure 12, is rolled towards the feed end of themachine, that is, the right-hand end in Figure 12, each hook I is causedto open relatively to the outer lower jaws 2 by reason of mechanism,operated by a cam lever 4, off a cam 5 which is driven from the maincrankshaft 42. The cam 5 lifts the lever 4 which rocks a lever 6 about acentre 7 and a push rod 8 rocks a further lever 9 to which is pivoted at10 one end of the gripper member 1, which is itself pivoted at 11 to thejaws 2. A spring 12 moves the hook in the reverse direction. The sheetis gripped on its front edge and is pulled by the gripper members intoand through the mahine to the cutting position where it is finallyregistered by its front edge against suitable front stops or lays 20described below.

In Figure 1 part of the grill is indicated at 13 and the face of thecrosshead to which the forme is attached is also shown.

Referring now to the remaining figures, the sheet is delivered by thegripper sheet feeding devices 1 and 2 into four sets of open gripperjaws 15 and 16, Figures 5, 6 and 12, which are mounted in brackets 17 onan oscillating tube 18 carried on the delivery side of the crosshead 19.These sets of grippers are spaced across the machine as shown in Figure3. With each set of gripper jaws is associated a front stop or lay aswill now be described. In Figure 3 the lays of the outer. setsof gripperjaws are notshown but in each case the layis disposed in the same manneras is the case of the gripper set nearer thereto. The sheet comes torest lying against the, adjustable lay members'ZO, Figures?) and 4-, andthe grippers. 1 andl then slide off the sheet. as the grillmoves 0a..The hook 1 being. springuloaded closes; immediately 3 it slides oh thesheet so that on the return stroke these hooks pass under the sheet.

Each set of sheet feeding grippers 1 and 2 in sliding forward strikes amovable member shown as a rod 21, Figure 4, which triggers-off the topgripper jaw 16 of the associated set of gripper jaws so that the grippercloses. The top gripper jaw 16 is fixed to a spindle 22 to which is alsofixed a lever 30 on which is fixed a square catch pin 23 which rests ona trigger catch pin 24, movable with the rod 21 and attached thereto asdescribed below. A strong spring 29 presses on the lever 30 to which thecatch pin 23 is attached. As the rod 21 is pushed to the right in Figure4 the trigger catch pin 24, Figure 5, moves past the pin 23 and thelatter and the lever 30 can then swing down under the pressure of spring29, moving the jaw 16 and closing the gripper on the sheet.

Each rod 21 is screwed into a block 5]. pivoted at 52 in a slotted lever53 fixed to a pivot pin 54 rotatable in a bracket 55. In Figure 4, 56 isa spring pin shown better in Figure 11 and fixed in a lug 55A of theracket A spring 57 between pin 56 and the pivot 52 urges the rod 21towards the left in Figure 4. The other end of pivot pin 54 has a block58 fixed to it in which is fixed the square pin 23, see Figure 8. Thepivot 52 is surrounded by a torsion spring 59. Further the lay 20 ispivoted at 60 to its adjustable support bracket 61 and pressed intooperative position by a spring 62. The purpose of the pivotalspring-controlled mountings of the rod 21 and the lay 20 is that theseparts have to rise as will now be explained as the segment rolls intoits extreme position away from the feed end of the machine. As will beunderstood from Figure 12 the movement of the sheet into the gripperjaws 15 and 16 takes place as the segment 41 nears the end of itsrolling movement away from the feed end of the machine. The last part ofsaid movement lifts the leading end of the sheet towards the forme andby pressing on the jaw 15 of each gripper set raises the whole gripperset assembly together with the sheet. The movement also lifts the parts2%) and 21. The parts 21 and 20 have already done their work before thesegment contacts with them and as the segment goes back to the other endof the machine the parts 21 and 20 return to their operative positionsready for the next sheet.

Meanwhile the sheet is held securely in the jaws i5 and 16 of each setof gripper jaws with the front edge layed against the associated lay 20and as the segment 41 rolls to said extreme position each set of gripperjaws which is carried on a slider 26 rides on the tympan of the segmentwhich presses the gripper jaw 15 upwards. Each set is guided by theslider 26 sliding vertically in dovetail guides 25 formed in the bracket37.

On the segment rolling back on its return stroke, the sets of gripperjaws 1.5 and 16 return to the lower position as each slider 26 movesdown under the action of a spring 27 and the sheet is thereby ejectedfrom the cutting rules 28, this ejecting force being additional to thatexerted by the usual rubber ejectors fitted in the forme.

Just before each slider reaches the lowest position the trigger catchpin 24 of the set of gripper jaws carried thereby engages catch pin 23causing the jaw 16 to move and open the gripper but the sheet stillrests on the lower jaw 15, see Figure 5. This feature greatly assiststhe entry beneath the forme of the delivery mechanism which receives thefinished sheet and carries it out of the machine. Since the gripper jaws15 and 16 move up and down vertically the sheet register is preserved.Delivery mechanism for this machine is fully described in the patentreferred to and by supporting the sheet on the jaws the sheet is heldabove the level of the delivery tapes of such mechanism.

In order that the jaws should finally drop the sheet on to the deliverytapes the tube 18 is caused to swing slightly as the segment reaches thefeed-end position in the machine. This swinging motion is obtained by alift plate 31, Figure 9, attached to the side of the segment at asuitable position and which raises a lever 32.

The lever 32 is pivoted to the crosshead at 33 and a rod 34 rocks a bellcrank 35 coupled to a link 36 pivoted to a lever bracket 37 fixed to thetube 18.

The lay 20 can be adjusted as to position by a nut 38 and spring 39,Figure 4, the arrangement permitting adjustment while the machine is inmotion.

It is desirable that the whole lay and gripper assembly should hemovable out of its operative position so as to permit access to theunderside of the crosshead and allow the chase to be removed. For thispurpose the tube 18 is coupled to the lever bracket 37 by a springplunger Figure 10. When the plunger 49 is withdrawn the tube 18 and allparts carried thereby can be swung upwards out of the way when desired.

A cutting and creasing machine similar to that described in the patentreferred to is shown in outline in Figure 12 and referring now to thatfigure the segment 41 is rolled to and fro along a surface 43 by aconnecting rod 44 driven by a crank disc 45. The grill 13 isreciprocated by a link 46 connected to a triangular lever 47 which isconnected to the segment at 48. At 49 there is a cam follower running ina track 50 for the purpose of modifying the grill motion relatively tothe segment motion. This grill drive which forms the subject of UnitedStates application Serial No. 505,496, filed May 2, 1955 has no bearingon the present invention but is briefly described because of theillustration in Figure 12.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. In a cutting and creasing machine of the kind comprising a segment ofa drum which rolls beneath a forme and the arcuate face of the segmentpresses a sheet against the forme to effect the desired operations onthe sheet, mechanism comprising a reciprocating sheet carrier having agripper for carrying a sheet beneath said forme to register against afront lay, whereafter the gripper slides off the sheet as the sheetcarrier continues its motion, a further gripper having jaws and locatedat the lay position, actuating devices for said gripper jaws arranged toopen and hold them open to receive a sheet brought against the lay bythe said sheet feeding gripper and means operable thereupon to closesaid further gripper jaws and hold the sheet in the lay position.

2. Mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the further gripper has afixed jaw and a movable jaw which fatter is moved towards the fixed jawfor gripping engagement on the sheet by spring operated devices, saiddevices being held inoperative after the jaws have been opened by saidactuating devices by catch devices comprising an abutment movable withthe movable jaw and a cooperative abutment movable with a movable memberand disposed in catching engagement to hold the jaws open as the sheetmoves into the open gripper, the catch devices being released fromcatching engagement by the sheet feeding gripper which strikes theaforesaid movable member as it passes on with the sheet carrier afterreleasing the sheet, to permit the jaws of said further gripper to closeunder the action of said spring operated devices.

3. Mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said further gripper ismounted for upward movement after it has gripped the sheet, saidmovement being effected by the segment which presses on the lower jaw ofthe gripper as the segment rolls beneath it and a spring is provided formoving the gripper downwards as the segment rolls away from the gripperposition, and said abutment movable with the movable jaw is arranged onfirst engaging the cooperating abutment towards the end of the downwardmovement of the further gripper to move said movable jaw and open thegripper against the influence of the spring. operated devices whereafterthe 5 abutments remain in catching engagement to hold the gripper jawsopen.

4. Mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the said further gripper ismounted for upward movement after it has gripped the sheet, saidmovement being efiected by the segment which presses on the lower jaw ofthe gripper as the segment rolls beneath it and a spring is provided formoving the gripper downwards as the segment rolls away from engagementwith the said further gripper, the downward movement of the gripperaiding in removing the gripped sheet from engagement with the forme.

5. Mechanism as claimed in claim 4 comprising means for opening the jawsof said further gripper towards the end of the downward movement wherebythe sheet is 15 released from the jaw grip, the gripper having a movableupper jaw and a fixed lower jaw and the lower jaw at the end of saidmovement being positioned and held to support the sheet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,319,716 Linebaugh Oct. 28, 1919 1,342,629 Jennings June 8, 19201,478,374 Belluche Dec. 25, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 715,992 Germany Mar.15, 1943

